Fouriesburg

Fouriesburg
Dutch Reformed Church, Fouriesburg Dutch Reformed Church, Fouriesburg
Fouriesburg  Fouriesburg shown within Free State
Coordinates:
Country	South Africa
Province	Free State
District	Thabo Mofutsanyane
Municipality	Dihlabeng
Established	1892
Area
• Total	12.8 km2 (4.9 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	12,974
• Density	1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	96.5%
• Coloured	0.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.6%
• White	2.5%
• Other	0.2%
First languages (2011)
• Sotho	90.7%
• Afrikaans	3.2%
• English	2.0%
• Sign language	1.6%
• Other	2.6%
Postal code (street)	9725
PO box	9725
Area code	058

Fouriesburg is a small town situated near the Maluti Mountains in the Free State province of South Africa just 9 km from Lesotho. During the late nineteenth century, this land was donated to the Orange Free State by a local farmer of Huguenot descent, Christoffel Fourie, for use as a temporary capital during the Second Boer War.

Fouriesburg is about half an hour's drive from the picturesque town of Clarens and 45 minutes from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. It is also situated about fifty kilometres south-east of Bethlehem, some fifty-three from Ficksburg, and ten from Caledon's Poort on the Lesotho border. It was the site of several engagements during the Boer Wars; by 1902 the original settlement had been almost completely destroyed.

Fouriesburg ranked first during South Africa's 2013 Kwela Town of the Year competition.